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How to Get Out of a Bad Funk

5 Things You Can Do to Get Motivated Again

Being in a bad funk is not a pleasant experience, nor is it something we want to deal with often.

Whenever we find ourselves going through a bad funk, it can affect us mentally, emotionally and physically.

What is a Bad Funk?

Being in a bad funk is a state in which we feel flat, empty, unmotivated or caring little about anything. Interestingly, people can find themselves in a funk after achieving a goal, whether it’s big or small.

When we’re in a funk, we often don’t feel like our normal selves.

Signs of a Bad Funk

Apart from having low motivation, other signs of being in a bad funk include:

Not having a lot of energy.

Finding it hard to get out of bed.

Not being as productive as usual.

Don’t have passion or desire to do anything.

Unable to get into any type of flow.

Starting to question things about life.

Feeling irritable or agitated by little things.

Feeling tired for no apparent reason.

We’ve all experienced this at some point in our lives. Funks are unavoidable, therefore it’s valuable to know what can be done to get ourselves out of it.

Whenever I find myself in a bad funk, it’s usually been due to experiencing burnout. That’s often a sign for me to slow down and recharge. Overworking is a major contributor, therefore I have to remind myself to take things easy for while.

5 Things You Can Do to Get Out of a Bad Funk

There is no need to remain in a bad funk any longer than we have to. There are things we can do to get back to our normal selves and continue to make progress towards what we want.

Observe what you’re telling yourself about being in a funk. Chances are we’re judging ourselves for being in a funk in the first place. It’s very likely we’re making being in a funk to be bad or wrong. That’s not an effective strategy, as it will cause us to feel worse.

A better strategy is to remind ourselves that this won’t be permanent and we’ve come through a funk before. Therefore, we have evidence that a funk will not last forever and it will pass through.

Allow yourself to be in a funk, for now. It’s very tempting to resist or deny being in a funk. The more we resist it, the longer it will hang around. If we allow ourselves to be in it and experience it without judgment, chances are, it will pass through a lot quicker.

We can use the power of our minds to imagine what it’s like not to be in a funk. We already know what’s it’s like to be our normal selves, therefore we can remember times when we were focused and productive. It’s also an opportunity to find something positive about being in a funk.

Assess where you are draining energy. A state of funk often means we’re not allowing energy to flow freely through us. It could be because we’re overworked and not taking time out for ourselves. Sometimes, things that are incomplete may be consuming additional energy.

This is a good time to evaluate whether other people are draining our energy. It could also mean there are things we’re avoiding, because they’re too uncomfortable to deal with. The more of these things we can bring to completion, the quicker we’ll stop leaking energy.

Change up your normal environment. We can get into a routine and start going through the motions. This can cause us to feel bored, unexcited or disinterested. Changing up our routine by changing our normal environment can be very helpful.

Things to do can include taking a break and going on a short trip, travelling, or spending time in nature by going for a walk. Being in a different environment can help us recharge and feel energised again.

Focus on a better future. Whenever we don’t have something to look forward to or aim for, life can start feeling dull or boring. Reconnecting to our passions or dreams are ways to feel excited about the future again. Having a vision for our lives and setting goals that will get us to our vision, are practical things we can do to change how we feel.

Other Things That Can Be Done to Get Out of a Bad Funk

Connect with people and share what we’re going through.

Focus on the good things in our lives.

Spend time on our hobbies or passions.

Do something to help others.

Be willing to ride out this period of being in a funk.

Conclusion

Everyone will find themselves in a bad funk at some point. Often, just being aware we’re in a funk can help us accept why we’re feeling the way we are. No matter how low we feel, it’s never permanent. These experiences can help us start doing things with more intention and intelligence.

There are things we can do to change our mindset around being in a bad funk and come out of it better and wiser for the experience.

Action Step: Observe what you’re telling yourself, if you’re currently showing signs of being in a bad funk. Apply these ideas to start changing how you feel and get back to being your normal self.

Question: What are other things that can be done to get out of a bad funk?